Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BaCKGRl)UND OF T~l~ INVENTION
Field of the Inventic)n.
The present invention relates to an improved form,
fill, seal and separate packaging machine of khe type
primarily int~nded for use in packaging material in
reclosable containers. The packaging machine of this
invelltion is uniq~ely characterized by its means for
applying zipper material ~;o t}le web and subsequently
forming, filling and ~eparating a plurality of ea~ily
openable and reclosable containers.
escri~tion oE the Prior Art.
One o~ the most signiflcant advancement~ in the
field of flexible packaging in recent years has been the
introduction of reclosable, zipper-type plastic bags.
While such containers have been publicly available for a
number of years for general household use, only recently
have such packages been introduced at a retail level for
the sale of prepackaged items such as, for example, food
products.
As the de6irab11ity of such reclo6able p~ckage~ for
r~tail sales has ~een recogni.zed, so has the need for
efficient equipmerlt for automatically forming, filling
an~ sealing such reclosable containers. Numerous such
devices are avai.lable today, but virtually all such
machinefi presently available share inherent deficiencies
primarily related l:O handling the zipper-type lock strip
in the manufacturil~g and filling process. The packaging
industry clearly recognizes that such zipper-type
r~closable locks must be substantially impermeable,
particularly when the containers are filled with food
products, and unnecessary stressing of the reclosable
seals must be avoided during the forming and filling
process. Accordingly, many present devices for forming,
filling, sealing and separaking reclosable containers
orient the container vertically with the zipper-lock
alony one ver~ical edge during the filling proce~s. One
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example of such a devic~ iB disclo~ed in U.S. Paten~ No.
4,745,731 to Ta].bott, et al. According to the disclosure
of that patent, the reclosable container is formed by
wrapping the plastic web around a generally vertical fill
S tube, mating the opposed par~s of the zipper-type lock to
form a tube, and then fil~ing -the receptacles from an
open en~. Nevertheless, s1~stantial manipulation of the
web is required, and great care must be taken to ma~e the
corre~ponding closur~ par-~ to insure a properly formed
and sealed container.
It has also been noted in the industry that it would
be deGirable to c(-nstruc~ a machine for forming reclos-
able containers wherein the zipper-loc~ material is added
to the contaiuer base web during the container-forming
operation. U. S. Patent No. 4,812,074 di6closes an
apparatus for accom~lishin~ this result. However, the
app~ratu~ of that patent is limited by its disclosure of
the use of zipper material wherein the mating halve~ are
joined one to the other by a unitary zipper web. This
requi:res great precision in applying the zipper, and
fur~her requires that the material be folded precisely
once the zipper material has been applied to khe base web
so that the reclosable feature will function properly.
Furthermore, opening ~uch a container requires &evering
the relative].y thick al-d ~trong zipper web that extends
betwee~ its mating halves.
It is, therefore, clear ~ha~ there remains a great
need in the art for a form, fill, seal and separate
packaging machine suitable for packaging material in
reclo~able containers wherein the web and particularly
its reclosable zipp0r-type lock are easily bonded t~ each
other and are relatively unaffected and not subjected to
mechanical stress during the forming, filling~ sealing
and ~eparating procedure~. Furthermore, ~uch a deYice
s~lould be capable o~ rela~ively simple ad~ustment to
accommodate the manufacture of reclosable packages of
variou6 sizes and weight cont~nt. Finallyj suCh a device
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should, preferably, include means for easily opening the
fini~hed, sealed container while ma.intaining the con~
tainer' 8 integrity un~il it i8 initially opened.
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SU~M~RY OF ~IE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved form,
fill, seal and separa~e packaging machine of the type
primarily intended for use in packaging material in
reclosable containers. More specifically, the packaging
machine of -this invention is uniquely characterized by
its means for applying a new zipper mateLial to the
container base web, folding the web having the zipper
material attached there~ol and proceeding throuyh the
work stations of the packaging machine for forming,
filling, sealing and separating the final reclosable
containers. The zipper material comprises a paix of
mated, resealable closure strips and means for attaching
the zipper material to the base web are provided. The
zipper ma~erial is further characterized by itB con~truc-
tion to include a tear line formed along one of the
closure strips, whereby the final containers may be
easily opened while maintaining the integrity of each
container until it is initially opened. No external tool
or implement is required to open containers fonmed by the
improved machine of this invention.
It is also to be noted that the present invention is
an improvement of the invention described and claimed in
my co-pending application Serial No. 07~436,911, filed
November 14, 1989, the disclosure of which is ~pecifical-
ly incorporated herein by reference.
As the pla~tic web utilized to form the container~
i~ provided from the web supply means, a zipper supply
means provides zipper material onto the base web. The
zipper material comprises a pair of mated, releasable
closure ~txips, and the strips are joined as supplied
from the zipper supply means. The web and zipper
material next encounter means for attaching the zipper
material to the web. In the preferred embodiment, the
means for attaching comprises a fir~t mean~ for bonding
one o~ the closure strip3 to the web. ~he web and the
partially-attached zipper material are then folded, and
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thi folded web enteLs ~u~equent work stations of the
packaging machine.
Once folded, the web is engaged by second means for
bonding the other of the closure strips to the base web.
At tha~ ~ime, the second means for bonding further
compri~es mean~ for forming a pull tab. It is this pull
tab which is used to open the finished container to
provide access to the zipper.
The pair of closure strips comprising the zipper
material are unique in that each closure strip comprises
a strip base having a width defined by top and bottom
edge~. The width defined between the top and bottom
edges of the one closure ~trip is greater than the width
of the other closure strip. Formed along the top edge of
the other, narrower clo3ure strip i~ a tear line, and th~
tear line is substantially ad~acen~ that top edge.
Accordin~ly, as is set forth in greater detail below,
once t~le container has been formed, filled and s~parated,
a user has merely to pull the pull tab to rupture the
top, folded segment of the container, thereby providing
easy access ~o the zipper material for use of the
container in its intended fashion.
While the preferred embodiment of this invention,
described in detail below, illustrates a machine suitable
for forming, filling and separating single containers, it
is to be understood and appreciated that the machine of
this invention could be easily modified to permit
simultaneous forming and filling o~ two or more contain~
ers through the working sections of the machine. Within
the industry, such a machine is normally referred to as
a "two-up" machine.
Once the zipper material has been applied to the
base web arld the base web and zipper material have been
folded onto each other and final attachment of the zipper
material to the web, along with formation of the pull
tab, that folded web enters the subsequent woxk stations
of the packaging machine. A control drive means is
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provided to regulate the inte~mittent travel of the webthrough the packaging machine so that the various
forming, filling, sealing and separating steps are
performed simultaneously a~ th~ flow of the web through
thé machine is periodically stopped.
The folded web is initially received by first web
belt means which direct the folded web to the mean6 for
bonding the other of the closure strips to the web. The
web next proceeds to a hole punch and fieal station where
an aperture is formed through the container above ~h0
closure strips, and not within the volume where container
contents will be placed. This aperture may be used for
hanging completed packages on a di~play rack, for
example. The web next move6 to a station for Rpot
6ealing the zipper material at intervals corresponding to
the final containar width. At this same station, the
pull tab used to open the comple~ed container i6 also
formed. Means for forming a side seal normal to the
closure strips are provided downstream of the means for
spot sealing. As the side seal is made, means are
provided for partially severing the side seals to define
partially formed containers which are open at their free
edges held between the first web belt m~ans.
The partially formed containers then advance to the
means for filling wherein a pair of opposed bag opening
means grip the free edges of the folded web and pull them
outwardly to define aSn open mouth for filling the
container. Described in greater detail in my co-pendi;g
application with regard to a preferred embodiment for the
packaging machine of this inverltion are the detail~ of
the means for filling whereby the control drive means is
actually reversed to provide sufficient ~Islack~ in the
web and the first web belt means to permit their separa-
tion.
Downstre~n of the means for illing the first web
belt means terminate~, and the filled partially formed
reclosable container~ are tran~ferred to a ~econd web
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belt means. The path of txavel defined by tha second web
belt means is parallel to the path of travel o the first
web belt means, but the second web belt means is disposed
slightly below ~he fir~t web belt means. ThUS~ a~ the
S filled partially formed containers are transferred from
tlle first web belt means to the second, the filled, but
only partially formed, containers are held so as to
expose their free edges. The containers then enter means
for forming a top seal to close the containers complete-
ly, and, next, to means for cutting the closed containersfrom the web to provide individual reclosable packs.
It should also be noted that a load support conveyor
is ~rovided im~lediately beneath the means for filling and
extending therefrom beyond the means for cutting and
tllereby separatin~ the completed containers. The load
support conveyor means is in abutting, supporting
relation to the fold of the web, thereby reducing, if not
virtually eliminating, mechanical stresses placed on the
reclo~able seal as each container is filled.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of
con~:truction, combination of elements, and arrangement of
parts which will be exemplified in the construction
hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention
will be indicated in the claims.
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BRIE:F DESCRIPTION OF 'l~IE: DRAWINGS
E~or a fuller under~tandin~ of the nature and objects
of the inven-tion, reference should be had to the follow-
ing detailed description taken in connection with the
accompanying ~rawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a top schema~ic view of the flow path of
the web and ~ipper material passing through the various
work stations of this packaging machine.
FIGUR~ 2 is a side elevation view of the machine as
shown in Fig. 1.
FIGUR~ 3 is a fragmentary detail view showing the
means for transferring the web from the first web belt
means and the means for top sealing, the mean~ for
cutting, and a segment of the load support conveyor means
therebelow.
FIGUR~ 4 is a plan view of a rPclosable container
form~d by this packaging machine.
FIGUR~ 4B is a sectional view taken along line B-B
in Fig. 4.
FlGUR~ 4C is a ~ectional view taken along line C-C
in Fig. 4 and is enlarged similar to the view o Fig. 6.
FIGUR~ 5 is a detailed view of the pull tab and tear
line of the container shown in Fig. 4.
FIGUR~ 6 is an enlarged view of the top portion of
the container as shown in the sectional view of Fig. 4Bo
Similar reference characters refer to similar parts
throughout the several view8 of the drawings.
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The views of Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the packaging
maciline of this invention, generally indicated a~ 10.
Packaging machine 10 utilizes a web 12 of thermopla~tic
or thermoplas-tic-coated material for forming the contain-
ers. A~ shown in Fi~. 1 and 2, web upply mean~
comprising a reel 14 and delivery rollers 16 and 18 a~
well as turning rollers 20 provide a supply of web 12 to
the remainder of packaging machine 10.
A zipper supply means comprising a zipper reel 15
provides a supply of zipper ma~erial 13 onto a top
surface of web 12 and to the remainder of packaging
machine 10 around zipper delivery roller 17~ delivery
rollers 18 and turning rollers 20.
lS As pe~haps best seen in the view of Fig. 1, the
zipper material 13 is applied to ths surface of web 12
substantially adjacent, but spaced apart from the web
fold line, that fold line being de~ignated by the
reference numeral 22.
As the web 12 and zipper material 13 pass between
the last pair of delivery rollers 18, they are operative-
ly engaged by means for attaching the zipper material 13
to the web 12. In thi~ preferred embodiment, the means
for attaching comprises a first means for bonding,
generally indicated as 19 in the views of Figs. 1 and 2.
First means for bonding 19 forms a thermal bond between
the zipper material 13 and the web 12 to partially attach
the zipper material 13 to the web 12. Then, the web 12
with the zipper material 13 at least partially attached
thereto is folded onto itself as it passes through
turning rollers 20 to the remainder of the packaging
machine 10. Therefore, throughout the remainder of
machine 10, web 12 carries with it the zipper material 13
sub~tantially ad~acent the fold 22 along the relative
bottom of machine 10.
Mounted downstre~n of t--he web and zipper supply
means, is the first web belt means compri~ing a pair of
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first endles~ b~lts 26 and 28. Endless belt~ 26 and 2B
ar~ driven in the direction ~hown ~y arrows A by control
drive means compri~ing machine drive rollers 30 and 32.
A plurality of y~ide rollers 34 are also provided for
beltfi 26 and 28. Finally, a pair of festoon roller~ 36
and 3~ al~o define elements of the first web belt means
and the festoon rollers 36 an(~ 38 are movable back and
forth in the direction parallel to the path of travel of
web 12 through machine 10 whereby ~he partially fo~med
container may be opened for filling, as explained in my
co-pending application.
As perhap.s best seen in the view of Fig. 1, web 12
is turned by rollers 20 ~uch that free edge6 40 are
received and held between belts 26 and 28. Pos.itive
rete~ion of free edges 40 between belts 26 and 28 is
assured by the provision of first web holding means 42
fixedly mounted adjacent belt 26 opposite free edges 40
and a plurality of biased second web holding means 44
n~ounted in biased engagement adjacent belt 28. Because
second web holding means 44 are biased toward belt 28,
free edges 40 of folded web 12 are held firluly between
belts 26 and 28 and travel therewith as indicated by
arrows A.
As folded web 12 and partially~at-~ached zippPr
material 13 pass illtO engagement with first belts 26 and
28 between first web holding means 42 and second web
holding means 44, upon stopping drive roller~ 30 and 32,
web 12 and zipper material 13 are engaged by second means .
for bonding, generally indicated as 21. As de~cribed in
greater detail below, the second means for bonding 21
thermally attaches the remainder of zipper material 13 to
web 12. ~he folded web 12 having the zipper material 13
bonded thereto is next engaged by means for forming an
aperturs, generally ind~cated as 23, and the re~ulting
aperture 25 and surrounding aperture seal 27 are best
~een in the view of Fig. 3. Also with reference ~o the
view of Fi~. 3, it can ba seen that aperture 25 and its
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surrounding apertur~ seal 27 are formed substantially
adjacen~ fold 22 and in spaced apart relation ~o zipper-
type lock 24. The aperture 25 extends through bo~h ~he
~ront and back portions of web 12 and ~hrough the strip
base 12~ of the one strip 120. secause apert~lre 25
e~tend~ through strip base 124 and is sealed a~ shown at
27, rela~ively strong means are provided for hanging the
filled containers and seal 27 preserves the integrity of
the con~ainer until it is opened by the ultima~e user.
The aperturecl contalner i~ next enc3aged by spot
sealer 46 which i8 actuated to seal zipper-type lock 24
as indicated at 48 in the view of Fig. 3. In order to
acilitate opening the container, the spo~ sealer 46
fur~her comprises me~ns in the nature of a sealer cutter
for forming a pull tab for tear line 136, the pull tab
being generally indi.cated as 138 in the views of Figs. 4
anci S. A~ the spot seal 48 is made, the means for
forming a pull ta~ 138 simultaneously forms a 6eal 140
completely through the container and a pair of converging
cut~ 142 whereby tear line 36 may be pulled to open ~he
top of the container above zipper lock 24, thereby
permitting use of ~he con~ainer and its contents in a
re~ealable fashion.
Next, the folded web 12 and 8pot sealed zipper lock
24 iB enga3ed by means for forming container ~icle seals,
that means comprising side seal hea~er bars 50. As
indicated in phantom in the view of Fig. 2, side seal
heater bar 50 further includes 6evering means 52 for
substantially bisecting the side seals 54 formed by ~ide
seal heatel~bars 50. Thus, the individual containers are
partially severed one from another by cut line 56 as best
seen in the view of Fig. 3.
The partially formed containers then enter the means
for filling, which has been generally indicated a~ 58.
Detailfi concerning the construction and operation of the
means for filling 58 are given in my co-pending applic~-
tion referenced above anc~ incorporated herein. ~lowever,
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it can be see that filling means 58 comprises a first web
clamp 60 mounted in engaging, restraining relation to
first belts 26 and 28 and free ends 40 held therebetween
downstre~n of side seal heater bar~ 50. The filling
means 58 further comprises a second web cl~np 62 also
mounted in engaging, restraining relation to first belts
26 and 28 downstream of first web clamps 60.
Opening the partially severed container is accom-
plished by the action of first bag opening means and
second bag opening means, generally indicated as 66 and
68, respectively. Material may be introduced into the
container from feed hopper 80. Once filling has been
completed, fir~t and second clamp 60 and 6~ open arld the
partially severed, filled coll-tainers held between belts
26 and 28 resume a ~ath of travel a~ indicated by
directional arrows A.
The filled ~artially sev~red con~ainers are next
transferred from ~he first web belt means to the second
web belt means comprising second endle~s belts 82 and 84.
As perhaps best seen in the view o~ Fig. 3, 6econd belt
84 is normally driven in the direction indicated hy ~rrow
E by second drive roller B6 which is mounted on the same
sha-Et 88 as first drive l.oller 32. Though not shown in
the drawings, a corresponding second driv~ rollèr
controls the movement of second endle~s belt 82 and is
similarly mounted immedi~tely below first drive roller
30. Thus, it can be seen that the means for transferring
the filled, partially severed containers from the firs~
web belt means to the second web belt means ba~ically
comprise~ overlapping the belts downstream of the means
for filling 58. In Fig. 3, it can clearly be sqen that
bec~use second endles4 belts 82 and 84 are disposed below
first belts 26 and 28, a segment oE free edges 40 now
ex~ends above belts 82 and 84. This unique construction
significantly facilitates final sealing and separating of
the filled container~.
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The filled, partially ~e~ered containers are next
engaged by means for top sealin;the container~ generally
indicated as 90 in the vie~ o~ . 1. However, it i8
also to be noted that, aR wi.th iht fir~t web belt mean~,
the second web belt means colllprises third web holding
means 92 corresponding to firs~ web holding mean~ 42, and
bia~ed fourth web holding means 94, corre~ponding to
bias~d Recond web holding mean~ 44. Finally, guide
rollers 96 are also provided for belts 82 and 84.
The means for top sealing 90 comprisas any suitable
device such as, for example, heater bars 98 and 100 for
bonding the exposed free ends 40 to each other. As best
seen in the v:iew of Fig. 3, heater bar 100 includes an
elongated portion which i8 somewhat longer than the width
of the filled container, and an enlarged head 102. It
should be noted that head 102 intersec-ts the partially
severed side seal 54 and, in combina~ion with -the
elongated arm of heater bar 100 completely seals free
edges 40 of the filled container. The completed top seal
is indicated by cross hatching 104 in the view of Fig. 3.
The filled sealed containers are severed from web 12
by the action of cutting means 106. The cutting means
106 comprises a knife 108 having a relatively blunt tip.
Upon actuation of cutting means 106, the blunt tip will
enter cut line 56, and knife 108 will sever the filled,
sealed containers from web 12.
In order to ~upport the filled container~, both
partially severed alld totally severedl machine 10 further
comprises a load ~upport conveyor mean~ generally
indicated as 112 in the view of Fig. 2. Load support
conveyor means 112 comprise~ an endles~ belt 114 having
a direction o~ travel subs-tantially parallel to ~hak of .
the machine path of travel and is indicated by direction-
al arrow A in the view of Fig. 3. Through means not
shown, movement of endle~s belt 114 around i~s rollers
116 and 118 corresponds to the movement of drive rollers
30 and 32 and second drive roller 86. A~ i~ clearly
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apparent in the views of Figs. 2 and 3, load ~upport
conveyor means 112 engages fold 22 of filled containers
to relieve stress which might be placed on zipper-type
lock 24 as well as on top edge~ 40.
Attention is now invited to the container as shown
in the vie~s of Figs. 4-6. As ~est seen in the enlarged
view of Fig. 6, the zipper material comprises a pair of
rnated, releasable closure strips. One of the closure
strips has been designated generally as 120, and the
other of the strips has been designated genexally as 122.
The one strip 120 includes a strip base 124 havincJ a
width defined by its corresponding -top and bottom edges,
126 and 128, re~pectively. The second closure strip 122
is fiimilarly constructed to include a strip base 130
having a width defined by its top and bo-ttom edges 132
and 134, respectively. It can be seen that the width of
the one 6~rip 120 is greater than the width of the other
strip 122. It is also to be noted that i~ i8 the one
strip 1~0 which is bonded to the ~eb 12 by the fir~t
means 19. The second closure strip 122 is bonded to web
12 by ~econd means 21.
Of special note i9 the provision of a tear line 136
along top edge 132 of the other strip 122. Tear line 136
is integxal with strip base 130 and i8 ~ufficiently
stron~ to permit rupturing of the container by pulling
tear line 136. This is accomplished by gripping and
pulling the segment of pull tab 138 between cuts-142.
It ls therefore clear khat the machine 10 of this
invention provides unique, efficient means for forming,
filling, sealing and separating reclosable containers
from virtually any web stock because of its provision of
means for affixing a unique zipper lock material thereto.
Furthermore, because of the construction of the two
halve3 of the zipper material to include a tear line on
one of those halves, the integrity of the filled contain-
er is in no way compromised. Also, as already pointed
out above, initial opening of the container to gain
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access to the zipper~type lock may be easily accomplished
without the necessity of utilizing any ext~rnal appli-
ance. ~ccor~ing to procedures well known in the packag-
ing arts, i~ can ~e apprecia~ed that the machine of this
invention could be adapted quite easily to operate within
a closed, essentially ~terile environment for the
packaging of food produc~s and medications. Also, as
indicated above, the machine of this invention could be
adapted to form, fill and separate more than one contain-
er at a time. Finally, reference is again made ~o my co-
pending application fully identified above with regard to
further operating details and ~tructural alternatives.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth
above, among those made apparent from the preceding
description, are efficien~ly attained, and, ~ince certain
changes may be made in the above construction without
departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended
that all matter contained in the above description or
shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted
as illu~trative and not in a limiting 6ense.
It is also to be understood that the following
claims are in-tended to cover all of the generic and
s~ecific features of the invention herein de8cribed, and
all statements of the ~cope of the invention whi~h, a~ a
matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
Now that the invention ha~ been described,
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